Program scheduling information is used extensively with TVs, VCRs, Convergence PCs, PC/TVs, and set top boxes for cable TVs to display scheduling information for a multitude of programs. Typically scheduling information is transmitted by a service to a receiver in one of the aforementioned systems. The scheduling information can be contained within a carrier signal and the carrier signal transmitted, or propagated, through several different mediums. For example, the signal could propagate through air until it is received by a local satellite dish, whereupon it is transferred through a fiber optic cable to one of the above systems. The scheduling information received by the one of the above systems typically contains information like a program name, day, date and time the program airs, the rating of the program, and even if the program is closed captioned for the hearing impaired. Additionally, the scheduling information could contain a summary describing the program and if the program is available with foreign language subtitles or any other information associated with the programs. The above information is available to the viewer using program scheduling information in conjunction with one of the above systems.
A common use of program scheduling information with one of the above systems is to select a program and further select a function associated with the program. Two common functions are the record and remind functions. The record function allows the user to record a program at a future date using the selected program's information contained within the program scheduling information (i.e., channel, date, time length, etc.). The remind function allows the user to be reminded of a program that is about to air using the program scheduling information. By selecting a program and a function associated with the program, the tasks of selecting, programming, or performing a function are greatly simplified.
As an example, suppose the user wanted to record a program that airs on a future date. The user would select a program and then select a record function to record the program. Upon selecting the record function, the record function will be automatically performed when the selected program airs on the future date. The task of recording a program is simplified in that the program scheduling information associated with the selected program is used to assist in performing the record function. The recording of a program is analogous to the method used in manually programming a VCR to record a program on a future date, except that all of the information required for programming the VCR is contained in the program scheduling information associated with the selected program and is automatically stored requiring minimal effort by the user. The remind function is similar to the record function except that when the selected program is about to air, the user would receive a reminder from the system, instead of recording the program.
Similar to record and remind functions are periodic record and remind functions. Periodic record and remind functions are an extension of the record and remind functions with the added feature of being able to record or remind at different recurring periodic intervals (i.e. daily, weekly). These periodic recurring functions are useful for recording and reminding of programs that air on a daily or weekly basis. For example, suppose the user wanted to record the Seinfeld show that airs every Thursday on NBC (NBC and Seinfeld are copyrights of the National Broadcast Company). The user would record the Seinfeld show every week by first selecting the Seinfeld program and then selecting the weekly record function and would no longer have to set up the record or remind function every week for each Seinfeld program or show.
The periodic record or remind functions, as convenient as they may seem, can lead to unwanted recording and reminders of undesired programs. Unwanted recording or reminders occur when the user selects the periodic record or remind function for a program that does not recur periodically or does not have a matching recurring period of the selected function, and the periodic record or remind function is carried out regardless of whether the program recurs on an equivalent periodic basis. As an example, suppose the user wanted to record the National Football League's Super Bowl on the Sunday it airs. If the user selects the weekly record function in lieu of just a one-time record function to record the Super Bowl, the system would automatically record a plurality of programs, in addition to the Super Bowl, on a weekly basis until the function was terminated leading to an undesirable program recording state.
Recording or reminding of programs on a recurring periodic basis, without knowledge of the program's recurring period, can lead to a waste of resources used to perform a periodic record function. What is needed is a method, system, interface, software, and a signal for enabling a function based upon program scheduling information associated with a selected program such as for enabling a periodic function for a program that airs on an equivalent recurring periodic basis.